Recipe – Christmas Pickled Pork Fat Brine

Since I started high fat carnivore, the search for fat sources I enjoy consistently and in large amounts has not been an easy one. I don’t particularly like cooked fat (such as on steaks) due to the texture, rendered/liquid fats don’t often sit well with me, and dairy can be problematic when it comes to weight loss.

Raw fat has been the closest to ideal I could find, but the texture isn’t always quite right (sometimes not firm enough for me to enjoy eating).

Luckily, my current housemate Amber got the idea to make pickled pork fat from Umbrellix on twitter, and when I tried it I was pleasantly surprised. Originally, Amber was making the pickled pork fat with leftover brine from store bought pickles. But, after my sister scolded me for not making my own, I decided to give it a go.

Instead of a traditional pickle brine, I went for something more on the “sweet” side, instead of sour, although there’s no sweetener. This is accomplished by using apple cider vinegar, and more “sweet” spices. I feel this compliments the richness of the fat, and the taste is something I can enjoy every day, as opposed to traditional pickle brine that I tend to get sick of after a few days.

I eat the finished product right out of the jar, or in a large bowl, plain.

Note, that because this doesn’t involve any processing (e.g. a hot water bath, and salt in the brine) it probably doesn’t preserve the fat – however one jar usually lasts about a week if I’m eating it alone, so it isn’t an issue for me. Make a smaller batch, and freeze off the rest of the raw pork fat if you’re not sure how much you’ll eat.

Also eating raw anything, even if pickled, comes with risks. Use your best judgement.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1 tsp whole liquorice root
• 1 tsp dried ginger chunks

Combine all ingredients in a large, clean glass jar or other container. Add your raw pork fat, chopped up into small cubes, separating the pieces if they’re stuck together so the brine comes into full contact with all the fat. If you’ve filled the jar and some of the fat isn’t covered by brine, add additional vinegar/water in equal portions until covered or split into two containers.

Seal, and let set for two or three days, and enjoy.

You could also add other christmas-y spices like cinnamon (I might do that myself next time) or whatever else you enjoy. Either way, I quite like the end result, and am quite glad to have another source of yummy fat in my diet with minimal effort.